Education Programs

SFFILM’s Young Filmmakers Camp is an intensive media-making summer program and an opportunity for teens ages 14–18 to learn from first-class film professionals in a fun, interactive, and collaborative environment.

The program is broken up into two two-week segments: the Starter Lab, which is for beginner students looking to learn the basics of filmmaking and enhance their storytelling skills; and the Advanced Lab, which is for students who want to build upon existing skills. In both labs, students work together to write, film, and edit short films that are screened on the final day of camp.

Students can take both Labs for a 4-week immersive filmmaking experience.

Starter Lab

July 6–17, 2020

Advanced Lab

July 20–31, 2020

Details for both Labs

Schedule
Monday–Friday
9:00 am–4:00 pm

Location
Town School for Boys
2750 Jackson Street
San Francisco, CA  94115

Tuition
$950 per Lab for SFFILM members
$1000 per Lab for general public

ENROLL HERE

Want to make a positive impact on the next generation of storytellers? You can help SFFILM Education serve students in need by making a fully tax-deductible gift in support of Young Filmmakers Camp Scholarship Assistance.

Make a Gift

For questions about enrollment or to apply for a camp scholarship contact SFFILM Education Program Coordinator Maddy Leonard at mleonard@sffilm.org or 415-561-5023.

Camp coursework developed in collaboration with pro video team at Apple.

Sponsored by

Filmmakers in the Classroom is a semester-long program that provides on-site professional development for teachers in grades 4–12 who want to integrate media making and viewing into their classroom curriculum.

In partnership with a local professional filmmaker and SFFILM Education staff, participating teachers develop customized curricula that give students intensive, hands-on instruction in media literacy, critical thinking, and filmmaking. At the start of the semester, the partnering filmmaker and teacher meet for a curriculum development workshop, then team-teach a series of classroom sessions over the course of the semester. The program culminates in the production of collaborative short film projects by the students, while the teacher acquires the skills to use media effectively in subsequent classes and to develop their own future media making projects.

To learn more, email education@sffilm.org.

Screenings for Schools is a year-round series of carefully curated films and presentations at theaters, schools and other venues in the San Francisco Bay Area. Films are selected to support the curriculum of a range of grade levels and subject areas, and all programs are interactive experiences with opportunities for students to engage with filmmakers, industry professionals, and subject area specialists in post-screening discussions and Q&As.

Through this program, SFFILM Education also brings filmmakers directly into the schools to meet and discuss their films with students in smaller classroom settings. These interactive visits allow students to engage with filmmakers from around the world and give the artists the opportunity to gain valuable feedback from younger audiences. All programs are developed in alignment with Common Core and California educational standards for media literacy.

To learn more, email education@sffilm.org.

About Schools at the Festival

Since 1991, SFFILM’s Schools at the Festival outreach program has created a vital connection between the annual San Francisco International Film Festival and the local educational community, providing students of all ages the opportunity to experience stories from around the world.

The Schools at the Festival program introduces students ages 6 to 18 to international film and the art of filmmaking while promoting media literacy, deepening insights into other cultures, enhancing foreign language aptitude, developing critical thinking skills, and inspiring a lifelong appreciation of cinema.

Throughout the 2019 San Francisco International Film Festival, classes from across the Bay Area will attend weekday matinees of curated Festival film programs at no cost to students or educators. Dozens of filmmaker guests from around the world will also visit local classrooms to discuss their films with students.

Program information for the 2020 Schools at the Festival program (April 8–21, 2020) will be published on sffilm.org in early spring 2020.

Contact Associate Director of Education Keith Zwölfer at 415-561-5040 or kzwolfer@sffilm.org with questions about our SATF program and to find out how to get your kids involved.

2019 Schools at the Festival program

About Nellie Wong Magic of Movies Essay Contest

SFFILM Education is looking forward to presenting the twelfth annual Schools at the Festival Student Essay Contest at the 2020 San Francisco International Festival (April 8–21, 2020). This contest is made possible by the generous support of the Nellie Wong Magic of Movies Education Fund, endowed by Tim Kochis and SFFILM board member Penelope Wong to honor the memory of her mother, Nellie Wong (1917–2007), who was an avid filmgoer and cinephile. Developed to support the year-round outreach efforts of SFFILM Education, the Fund aims to cultivate students’ imaginations, enhance their critical thinking and creative writing skills and instill a greater appreciation for the magic of movies in young audiences of the Bay Area.

2019 Nellie Wong Magic of Movies Essay Contest